occasional notes about random things

Cats

09 October 2013

As Jeff reminded me a few times over the past three days, there will be “Shanghai” days, and “Shang-Low” days here.

This week’s Shang-low moments have included …

…returning from vacation to learn that since it’s October, the PTB have shut off the air conditioning. Even though it’s hot and humid outside (and about 90 degrees at home).

And we can’t open the windows because we have cats and we’re on the 49th Floor. Andwhen we examine the windows and think, "nah, no way they’ll even try to get up here," then open just a couple – which brings sweet relief – we learn that yes, indeed, at least one can – and will – jump up and sit on the edge of the window, not caring that it’s 40+ stories up. … … …

So, after bribing him down with a treat, we realize that until we can devise some sort of screen, we really cannot open any windows regardless of how hot it is. So, we sweat. And hope it turns cooler fast.

…walking into the laundry room to see water dripping from the ceiling onto the back of the washer where the plug is, and splashing directly onto the outlet where washer and dryer are plugged in.

And when I report this electrical hazard to the property manager, the response is as follows:

“Lots of people in this [building] have the same problem; it's because of the weather-typhoon in Shanghai these days.

[We] suggest that you can do some cleaning with buckets and mops. When the rain stops it will be good as usual.”

Uhm...Huh? Really?? I guess so, provided that there is no electrical short or anything. So, anyway, I unplug the washer, wipe up the water, put a bucket on top the washer (which can’t be moved much at all due to the drainage tube going into the floor), and set a timer to remember to empty it every few hours. And then, when the rain stops, plug the washer back in and hope it works.

Leaking about a gallon an hour ... for two days. Thank goodness we were home.

…deciding that since it’s pouring outside, to eat in – only to discover that something went klafooey with the oven and I can’t get it to turn on. At all. No matter which button I push, it just reads STOP.

And, while the landlord left all the “assembly” instructions of every piece of (already assembled) IKEA furniture in the place, we have no user manuals for any of the electronics. So I have no idea whether I’m just pushing the wrong buttons or something’s wrong with the stove. And so I Google the model number for 30 minutes, trying to find an online version of the manual, even though the internet is acting up again, cutting out every 3-4 minutes. And, it's just impossible to get to the “real” Google, even when on a US VPN, because it just keeps reverting to Hong Kong Google. In Mandarin. And the translator keeps crashing, so can’t read it. Then I just give up and decide that Jeff has to cook because he knows how to cook everything on or with anything.

~~~

But then … when the rain stopped and I went out to market, and decided to try using a few of the Mandarin words I’m learning, and all the ladies stop and laugh and clap, nodding their heads. And I feel like I just won the National Spelling Bee!!! (But all I really did was say 49? in Mandarin … badly).

And then I decided to see whether the repairs to the tub last week actually worked. And they did! The tub fills up in only 10 minutes, and the jets work, and the tub no longer leaks when the jets are on! And ... it’s awesome!!! This tub is so big I need to stretch to reach the other side!

And ... :::drum roll::: ... I learned that our sea shipment is scheduled for delivery – FINALLY – this Friday, which makes me dance around the place like a crazy woman. Our “glamping” days are ending, and I can’t say how glad I am about that!

Now, I'm trying NOT to count chickens and all that. Things get delayed - often. But it’s hard. I’m so ready for our stuff to get here! I’ve been “glamping” since July 18th – in what turned out to be an unsuccessful attempt to shorten the time we did without our stuff while here.

I’m ready to have my bathrobe back. And our bed!!! And a dresser to put my clothes (and … well, some different clothes will be great too). And our dining room table. And an actual wine glass, because it’s just not the same drinking wine out of a red solo cup. And a wine opener that actually works. And our potato peeler – I had no idea how much I used it until I didn’t have it. And our good knives and a few more pots and pans and dishes. And our camera cords, so we can download (and upload) pics from our travels. And to have a few of our “favorite things” hung up on these very bare, very white (or slightly pink and/or slightly purple) walls.

Fingers crossed for Friday delivery!

(Of course, once it all gets here, I’ll be stressing about the fact that I packed and shipped too much stuff and don’t know where to put it all. Because I know that I packed up way more than the list of things above, which are all the things I actually really miss………………)

15 September 2013

A couple people have asked how Majerle and Gracie are doing. The answer is that they're adjusting well for the most part.

Neither one of them have liked riding in the car much, since we first adopted them. But Gracie really seemed to hate it. She'd start howling as soon as I put her in the crate and only stop when I got her back out.

So I wasn't really looking forward to the 7+ hour ride to LAX. (We drove them (and us) to LAX because the temperatures in Phoenix in mid-August are just too high for pet air travel -- even though the cargo hold is temperature controlled once the plane is flying, there's still a period of time of sitting on the ground where it is just deemed not safe.) Fortunately (for us), Gracie generally quieted down after about the first hour and did well. Majerle was mostly quiet although he would stand up, watch out the window, then meow at us a bit every so often.

We stayed at the Sheraton right by the airport over night, as the pet taxi folks were scheduled to pick them up 9:30 the next morning and - if we stayed close - they'd pick them up from our hotel and take them directly to the airport -- which was one less transfer the cats would be subject to so I was all for it.

They were generally quiet and nervous in the hotel - a whole new space with new smells. Both of them spent most of the time hiding behind something -- either the chair in the corner or behind the TV in the armoire piece. (First thing I did when we got in the room before I let them out of their crates was to make sure that the "under bed" space wasn't accessible. I had nightmares of having to dig them out from under the bed in the morning. It was a great relief not to have to do that. The hotel was great - when I realized our room didn't have a freezer, I asked the folks downstairs if they could freeze the furkids' water. (PetRelocation.com recommended that we freeze the water, so that it wouldn't spill on first transfer and would slowly thaw, giving them cool water for several hours.)

Anyway, the pet taxi folks who partner with PetRelocation arrived the next morning. I'm sure people near the entrance of the hotel thought I was surrendering them or something because yes, I cried. The pet taxi guy asked me whether they'd flown before, and I said "no." He laughed and said, "they don't have a clue what is happening then, do they?" Uh .. when he saw my face. Then he assured me that they'll be just fine.

We got them both in the back of his little mini van and I said goodbye. And off they went. (He was very efficient and that was a good thing - longer the process, the more upset I would be, so I was glad he was transferring them fast and all that.)

And then, off they went. I walked around a bit to get it together before returning to our room to pack up our stuff.

They were scheduled to fly out at about 1:45 but the plane was delayed a few hours. Of course I didn't know that as we were scheduled to fly out ourselves at about the same time, so even though I had signed up for flight following, I also had already turned my phone off before any delay messages came through.

When we got to our hotel in Shanghai, I checked messages and saw that they had arrived in Amsterdam. I didn't notice the delay in arrival, but it ended up having "consequences" as - from what I understand, the delay out of LAX resulted in them being held over another full day in Amsterdam. I didn't learn about this -- that they weren't on their scheduled flight from Amsterdam to Hong Kong until after they'd been scheduled to arrive in Hong Kong. That was a little disconcerting. But - flight delays happen (on our last trip to Shanghai, we ended up getting here a day late because we were delayed out of Phoenix and by the time we'd gotten to SFO, the plane to Shanghai had already left. The *good* thing, from my perspective, was that they were delayed in Amsterdam, not in Hong Kong. KLM, the airline that they flew, has a wonderful "pet hotel" just for furkids like Majerle and Gracie who are flying around the world.

Anyway, since they were delayed out of Amsterdam, they would not arrive in Shanghai until Tuesday, rather than Monday as we'd thought they would. (Well, originally we understood that they'd not get to Shanghai until Tuesday, but then we learned that they were scheduled on a flight to get them here on Monday ... until they missed their flight out of Amsterdam.)

Finally (or so it seemed to me), I was able to go get them at the airport in Shanghai. And that's when things got a little crazy, due to what I can only fairly describe as a series of miscommunications/misunderstandings between myself and my relocation company.

As an aside: The MOST IMPORTANT thing to know is that both Majerle and Gracie arrived safe and sound, physically and mentally. Another important thing to know is that, while there were some miscommunications, I share the responsibility AND, even so, the company has more than "made things right" by proactively listening to my story and asking me what could make it right, and then making it right -- making actual changes to processes to ensure that things don't happen again. Flight delays happen. Miscommunications happen. Busy customers who have 1,000 things to think about sometimes hear things wrong or don't hear them at all. And everyone is human and can make honest mistakes. What matters most to me is that (a) my furkids arrived safe and sound, (b) PetRelocation was great to me, and (c) PetRelocation made some changes to processes based on how things are here in Shanghai and ... how things played out. I fully expect that I will use PetRelocation when we return to the states based on how they professionally and graciously handled the entire situation - and can recommend them to others.

Anyway, two heroes saved me that day (the furkids were fine; I was a basket case): "Mr. C," our driver, and J's wonderful secretary "Ms. E." They worked the phones for a couple hours figuring things out (and, with Mr. C, continually telling me that it'll be ok - they will figure it out.) When there was some issue with the paperwork and the shipping company didn't want to release the cats, it was Mr. C who ... uhm ... spoke persuasively, and Ms. E, who found, then provided, information that convinced them I was who I said I was and those cats were mine!

Anyway - all I can say about that is that I was a basket case for a few hours, and I can't recall when I was so relieved as when we had them in the back of the van and were driving back to our place. That trip was hard, because their crates were wired shut and - huge, obviously - so they were in the back and I was in the front. It took us about an hour to get back home. Ugh. But -- we did.

And, finally, they were HERE. Out came the wire cutters and all that. I'd expected to need to bathe them after such a long trip but both they and their crates were clean (enough). So, that was one less trauma (for both of us, as they both hate baths!)

Gracie was - pretty much - a leech. She would not get off me - and while on me, she insisted on being up at my face.

I kept trying to get pics of both of them to post on Facebook that they were here, but it was almost impossible with her because ... this is how she was. For a long while.

Eventually, she was content to sit on my lap for a while. But when I got up to go to the bathroom .. or anywhere, she was like a little puppy following me around, then jumping up on me.

Essentially, Gracie was .. attached for pretty much the first 24 hours or so. When I went into the kitchen, she'd stop to get a drink for a bit, but only for so long as I stayed near. Soon as I left, she would too.

Gracie cuddling me after she arrived.

Majerle, on the other hand ... not so much. I had also shut all the doors to rooms to give them an enclosed space, but Majerle anyway, was having none of that.

After spending some time drinking up, he promptly went to the first closed door (kitchen) and meowed at it, until I opened it. He'd not even explore that space before going to the next door and meowing at it until I opened it. So, within about 10 minutes, all the doors to all the rooms were open in the house.

Majerle would come over every once in a while but wouldn't let me pet him initially. He'd just rub up against me then walk away to explore again.

Then he'd come back to me for a while longer, and even sit up on the couch beside me (us). Never for long, but for little bits of time.

Eventually, he did let me pet him. But he was pretty restless for the entire day.

Waking up together in Shanghai

Tbe next morning, though, all was well in Shanghai. I woke up to Majerle curled up with me, along with Gracie just a few inches away. And, they stayed that way pretty much the entire day: sleeping, and sleeping, and sleeping some more.

Then, they ate a bit, and got a drink, then slept some more.

By Thursday, Majerle was back to exploring some, then napping, then exploring. Gracie was back to being a leech, then napping (usually on me), then being an active leech on me again (I could not type or do much of anything. She was THERE, insisting that I pet her, talk to her, actively BE with her.)

They've been slowly adjusting. In part, it is hard - especially for Majerle I think - because our sea shipment is not yet here, so we still have a lot of wide open spaces, with very few places to hide. He loves hidey holes, but -- other than the bed and the couch - there just aren't any. He used to get in the closet (much to our dismay, actually, but the doors were such that we couldn't prevent him from doing so) anytime he wanted a break from his little sister (who can be really annoying!! she is such an attention whore. seriously! she must think she's a dog or something....)

So, they are "arguing" (cough cough) more than they did before. And I haven't yet found ways to stop that. I separate them but then MAJERLE comes back and insists on engaging Gracie again. Which I find very weird. He gets so annoyed at her for trying to play - growling, hissing, etc etc. But each time I separate her and give him space in a room and distract her, he just comes back for more. ::: shrugh ::: I'm hoping that when our stuff comes and he has his "space" that used to be HIS space ... on the bed, on the dresser, and the like, that they'll stop -- or at least reduce -- their squabbling.

The funny thing is that while they really do squabble like an older brother and younger sister, all that stops -- immediately -- when someone "new" comes. (And, so far - given that there are still certain things that need fixed and the like -- someone is coming virtually every day.) When the door bell rings, they're suddenly very close buddies. It generally goes like this: They run behind the couch in my office (which I pulled away from the wall so they'd have a hidey place). And they listen, peeking under the couch. Majerle, who gets sooooo tired of Gracie, is such a "big brother." He will watch with her, then just look at her until she settles down, sometimes nudging her, always looking straight at her. Then, and only then -- once she's settled down and closed her eyes, he'll decide to take a nap too. If she wakes up, he's immediately watchful and watching her. Then, once she calms down again, he'll close his eyes and take another nap too.

They stay this way (whether awake or asleep) -- face to face -- until the place is quiet again. Then Majerle will venture out and check out the place to make sure that no one is here. Then he'll come back in on the couch and meow a bit, and then (and only then) Gracie will come out from behind the couch. And - half the time (at least), they'll just start squabbling again as if they weren't the sweetest siblings 30 seconds before ....

And - Majerle has his new "garage door." Back in Phoenix, Majerle always insisted on going out into the garage in the evening. (Gracie never did.) He'd meow at the door while Jeff was cooking or I was cleaning, until we let him out there. Twenty minutes later, he'd be ready to come back in. Here -- he does the same thing at the kitchen door, insisting that we let him out into the laundry/storage room area.

Majerle: "Let me OUT!! "

He is also not at all yet done exploring the territory. No matter what door or drawer I open, he is in it before I can stop him.

Majerle exploring little spaces...

Gracie is a little less in-my-face, but not all that much. She's constantly up here, on my desk, while I'm trying to work, insisting that I pay attention to her. Then, she'll settle down for a bit, anyway, so long as she can be beside me....

Gracie: "I don't care that you want to type, I want you to play with ME."

As it was back home in Phoenix, both Majerle and Gracie like to be up on my desk beside me, as I work (or play) ... my desk is much smaller, so they now have to take turns ...

Gracie, chilling on my desk.

Majerle getting some love atop my desk too.

So, they're adjusting well over all, but I think it'll take some time (and the delivery of our "stuff" that they're used to being with and on) before they are fully comfy and realize that this really is their home ... for a while anyway.

~~~

*Special thanks to Pam Barklage for permission to "borrow" her term, "Fur Kids." It is a perfect moniker for, well, my furry "kids."

08 August 2013

While all the full nitty gritty details of their travel itinerary are still being finalized but, essentially, here's the plan.

First, we will drive them from Phoenix to Los Angeles - because it's just too hot in Phoenix for them to travel from here to LA via plane. (Certain restrictions prevent us from carrying them on the flight, so they would be in cargo). So ... yep, that's gonna be a great eight-hour trip, given that Gracie starts howling soon as I put her in the little carrier (or the big crate), then really starts howling once I pick her up and put her in the car -- just to go to the vet. Gonna. Be. Awesome. (not.) I have to remind myself that a couple days will be just plain yukky, but it's much better than the alternative. Anyway ...

The next morning, the PetRelocation agent will meet up with us the next morning and handle their check in. They will not be going on our flight. Because if they do -- if they were to fly with us straight to Shanghai -- they would have to go into quarantine for thirty (30!) days. And we couldn't visit them during that time. Instead, they will basically travel three quarters of the way around the world to avoid that whole process. They will fly out of LAX to Amsterdam via KLM Airlines. (I've never been there, though that was the country where J's last ex pat assignment a couple decades ago...)

In Amsterdam, they'll stay in the KLM Animal Hotel. Yes, that's what it's called. And they even have a video of it!

After a stint at the hotel, they'll travel to Hong Kong (via KLM) and have another sleep over with the PetRelocation agents there. Then, they'll arrive in Shanghai -- just a couple days after we will. And I'll be standing at the gate waiting for them :).

07 August 2013

When you're just a bit worried about exceeding baggage allowances, finding out that one of your big suitcases weighs 15.2 pounds - empty - is just a little disconcerting. (I must say though that the EatSmart Precision Voyager Digital Luggage Scale is a really cool little toyol. )

Now, just for context, let me start out by saying that normally the airlines' maximum weight and baggage rules do not concern me because we rarely have to worry about exceeding the weight or number of bag limits. For one, Southwest Airlines has a generous baggage allowance. (I love Southwest.) And J gets an extra baggage allowance when we fly US Airways thanks to all the his travel, so if we have one extra bag -- or extra heavy bag full of ski or scuba stuff -- it's still not an issue.

And, most of the time, we each only travel with a carry-on in any event. And, admittedly, we do have a pretty generous baggage allowance on the final move flight: I can check one 50 pound bag, and J can check three 70 pound bags -- for no additional fee.

Yet, I've been trying to figure out how to maximize our allowance and am not sure we're going to be able to avoid an extra baggage fee.

Because, this trip is ... well ... different.

For one, there were so many restrictions on what we could pack in our sea shipment and air shipment that we'll have a few bags, and a couple of those will be heavy. For example, we could not include any pastes - such as antiperspirant - in our shipments. (Nor could we include any liquids like shampoo, etc.) Now, that wouldn't be a big deal -- we can get many toiletries over there. Go native, and all that. Except that it's virtually impossible to get the type of antiperspirant we in the USA like (need) to use in Shanghai. I know this from scouring multiple multiple stores for several hours during our last trip. The only types of deodorant I could find were (a) spray deodorant and (b) the old/vintage style roll-on type that I remember my parents using ... in the 70s. And it was deodorant -- not antiperspirant. Apparently, it's only expats who sweat like crazy in the humid Shanghai weather. And that's just one example of things I couldn't find and/or don't expect to be able to find there that I (think I) will need. So, we're packing that kind of stuff.

For another, it's not at all clear when we will get our air and sea shipments once we're over there - even though I scheduled the pack/shipment of all that stuff more than a month before we leave. We could get one or both of them within two weeks after we arrive -- or two months. So, I compromised when packing and held back enough clothes and that sort of stuff to last for a month (with a couple laundry days of course).

Then there's the cats. They'll travel with us to LAX via car, then via air on their own (more on that later). However, I need to transport them to vet a least once or twice more here -- then, when they get to Shanghai, we'll need to transfer them to smaller carriers. So, I couldn't send those with shipment and have to haul them with us as well. And, there's the fact -- according to friends living there now -- that one can go for weeks without being able to find cat litter in any store. So. Yep. Need to pack some litter too.

So, my first step in "planning the final pack" was to weigh all available suitcases empty. And the good news is that three of the wheeled ones we have are under ten pounds. Except for the first one I weighed, which really was 15.2 pounds empty. (That suitcase is staying here. Maybe when we come back, I'll find a way to use it as a piece of furniture, because it's now virtually useless as an air travel luggage option. It's a pretty red. I'm sure I'll find a use for it.....)

My second step was filling one of the wheeled duffles to see how much I could fit in it ... and not go over the 70 pound limit ... and make sure things were wrapped/protected enough that the chances of leaking or breaking were minimal.

So I first used a bunch of those "air packs" that come in, for example, Amazon packages on bottom, top and sides of the suitcase. (Yes. I am my mother's daughter and have been keeping them for a couple months, sure that I'd find a use for them...) Then I put liquid stuff in hefty zip freezer bags -- then wrapped with another bag just in case the one bag broke. (Did I admit that I am my mother's daughter yet?)

Then, when it was as full as I thought I could get reasonably get it, I closed it up and weighed it:

28 July 2013

Majerle and Gracie are coming with us to Shanghai. Thanks to my sister, they're going to travel in style!

A couple weeks ago, when I was "spazzing" about ... well ... everything, my sister Tina decided to come visit to help out. And help out she did. While she was here, we sold my Eos (can't say i was too upset about losing that one); got quotes on the other car; found and set up an accessible storage unit, sorted the remaining stuff (accessible storage, permanent storage, and find a new home) ... and least a dozen other things I can't recall at the moment.

On top of all that, she offered to decorate Majerle and Gracie's travel crates. Now, all my stuff was packed up, so this is what she had to work with:

And ... this what she did with those tools .................

I just LOVE them, so cannot resist showing the details. So, here are pics of the tops and sides of each one. (The cool thing is that regardless of what angle you're at, you can tell immediately whose crate it is!)

Majerle's Crate

Top.

Side with Suns Logo (since he's named after "Thunder Dan," the great Suns player).

Side with his orange-tabby tail and fish bowl. (Majerle loves these little fish-shaped treats that Gracie just won't even touch).

Gracie's Crate

Top.

Side with Dbacks Logo (since she is named after Mark Grace, and with 2001 logo, since that's what he wore).

Side with Gracie's (mostly) black tail.

I just think they're the coolest critter travel crates in the whole wide world! (And I'm only a teensy bit prejudiced of course...)

~~~

About bringing Majerle and Gracie with us, I read lots and lots of stuff about importing pets to China, and spoke with a couple people with real world experience. One friend managed to successfully get her dog to Shanghai by herself, without (any major) incidents. Another friend retained a pet relocation company to bring her two cats to Shanghai.

After much research, and knowing that I still am working and also that I have a minor tendency to forget certain things like important dates, and get certain paperwork bollixed up, I decided to go with a relocation company. Since my friend had only positive things to say about the one she used -- and my comparative research indicated that they provided (by far) the best "bang for the buck," I decided to go with them: PetRelocation.com.

So far, my experience has been all positive - even on the day I had a total freak out thinking that part of the process was irreparably messed up and the cats coudn't come with us after all - least not at the same time we were going. (And Tobi, my "dedicated client care specialist," didn't even laugh at me, though she probably should have ::::blushing::::)

That whole episode is another story for another time. All I'll say now is that after a few hours of being totally upset based on information I got from someone ELSE, I decided to contact her to see what could be done. Tobi responded in just a few moments and immediately allayed my fears, explaining why ... everything was perfectly ok. And, I learned to stop reading what others write and just trust that Tobi and PetRelocation know what they're doing after all!

Of course, the final proof will be in the pudding -- i.e., when Majerle and Gracie join us - safe and sound - in our new place in late August.